Push bar for metal doors



April 5, 1960 T, 1' BEYRLE 2,931,078

PUSH BAR FOR METAL DOORS Filed April 30, 1958 vi N 1L 700W/,05 7.' 557/245 INVENTOR,

PUSH BAR FR METAL DOORS Thomas T. Beyrle, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jackson Exit Device Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 30, 1958, Serial No. 732,050

3v Claims. (Cl. Ztl-16) This invention relates to building hardware and has particular reference to a push bar for metal frame doors.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a novel push bar construction for attachment to doors of the metal frame type, the push bar being provided with means for permanently and rigidly attaching the same to the door frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide a push bar assembly adapted to be attached to a metal frame door without the use of conventional screw members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel push bar assembly which is unhanded, i.e., capable of being attached to either side of a leftor right-handed swinging door.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel push bar of simple construction and pleasing appearance, and which is adapted to be installed on the job site to meet the requirements of the user.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a door having attached thereto the push bar of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 2, but illustrating the positions of the parts just prior to nal assembly.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the mounting blocks.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Doors of commercial and residential buildings are frequently equipped with so-called push bars for assisting persons to open and close the door by applying pressure on the bars in the appropriate direction. Such bars are frequently used on swinging doors so that the door may be opened from either direction by pushing or pulling the push bar on that side of the door. In the past, it has often been the practice to secure the ends of such push bars to the doors by means of screw plates mounted on the opposite sides of the doors. Such screw plates, however, are not only visible and objectionable from the appearance standpoint, but tend to become loosened after repeated use, causing the bar to rattle.

The push bar construction of the present invention eliminates the disadvantages of these prior doors by dispensing entirely with mounting screws. In the present invention, a pair of mounting blocks are provided, the sole means for securing each block to the door frame comprising a spring hook member on each block and inserted through holes in the door stile, the ends of the hooks contacting the inside of the stiles and maintained fic thereagainst under tension by means of the rigid push bar proper which is inserted through apertures in the mounting blocks and thereby maintained in rigid operative position therebetween.r A permanently rigid attachment is thereby provided. The number of parts is reduced to a minimum and these parts are for the most part concealed from view. The inished push bar construction is of clean, modern-appearing design with the push bar mounted generally parallel to the door itself.

Referring now to the drawings, a conventional door 10 is equipped with the push bar assembly 11 of the present invention. The `door is of conventional construction, that shown having an aluminum frame including stiles or upright frame members 12. and 13 interconnected by horizontal members 16 and 17 at top and bottom, respectively, these enclosing a glass central panel 19.

A pair of mounting blocks 20 and 21 are provided, each having a bore 22, 23 into which the shank of one of a pair of steel spring hook members 24, 25 is driven. The blocks are indented as at 26, 27 to rigidly connect the hook members to the respective blocks. The hook member 24 extends through an aperture 30 in the stile 12, the end of the hook member being in contact with the inside wall of the stile and the inner surface of the mounting block 20 abutting against the outside wall of the stile. Similarly, the hook member 25 extends through an aperture 31 in the stile 13. Apertures 35 and 36 are provided in the block members 20 and 21, respectively, and extending therethrough is the push bar 38, the apertures being slightly oversize with respect to the bar.

A decorative push plate 40 is secured to the central portion of the bar 3S. As shown best in Figure 6, the plate 40 is provided with bevelled edges slidably received in a mounting plate 41 which is secured to the push bar by means of counter-sunk at-head screws 42. Disassembly of the push plate 40 from the mounting plate 41 is prevented by means of set screws 45. It will be noted that the apertures 35 and 36 are inclined at an angle from the vertical so that the push bar and push plate are similarly inclined, and thus conveniently presented to the hand of the person opening the door.

The manner of assembly of the push bar and its associated parts with the door 10` is illustrated in Figure 3. The hook members 24 and 2S are rst inserted through the respective apertures 30 and 31, with the push bar inserted through only one of the apertures 35 or 36, in this case, the aperture 35. It will be noted that at this stage, due to the shapes and lengths of the hook members, the mounting blocks 20 and 21 are slightly canted with respect to the plane of the outer surfaces of the Stiles 12 and 13. The blocks are then clamped firmly against the respective Stiles by means of C-clamps (not shown), thus placing the hook members under tension, whereupon the push bar is moved to the right, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, to insert the right-hand end thereof through the aperture 36 to the position of Figure 2. The C-clamps are then removed to complete the assembly. The push bar is now rigidly connected to the door, the tension in the springs tending to force the mounting blocks outwardly and to thus exert a strong wedging or clamping action between the blocks and the push bar, as shown in Figure 4.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a door having a pair of hollow stiles, a push bar assembly comprising a pair of mounting blocks, each contacting the outer surface of one of said stiles and each provided with an aperture therethrough, a hook'member rigidly secured to each of said mounting blocks, each of said hook members extending through an opening in one of said Stiles and contacting the inner surface thereof, said hook members being placed under a condition oftension, and a rigidpush bar extending through said apertures in contact with said mounting blocks, said hook members exerting a clamping action between said Ablocks and said bar. Y Y

2. In combination with a door having a pairv of hollow stiles, a push bar assembly comprising a pair of mounting blocks, each contacting the outer surface of one' of said stiles and each provided with a rectangular aperturetherethrough, a hook member rigidly secured to each of said mounting blocks, each offsaid hook members extending through an opening in one of said stileis kand contacting the'inne'r surface thereof, said ho'ok members being placed under a condition of tension, and a rigid rectangular push bar extending through said apertures inv contact with said mounting blocks, said hook members exerting aclamping action between said blocksandsaid bar.

3. In combination with a door having a pair of hollow stiles, a push bar assembly comprising a pair of mounting blocks, each contacting the outer surface of one of said stiles and each provided with a rectangular aperture therethrough, said apertures each being inclined at an angle Yto the plane of the stile outer surfaces, a hook member rigidly secured to each of said mounting blocks, each of said hook members extending through an opening in one of said stiles and contacting the inner surface thereof, said hook members being placed under a condition of tension, and a rigid rectangular` push bar extending through said apertures in contact with said mounting blocks, said hook membersexerting a clamping action between said blocks and said bar.

References Cited in theiiile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS winter' Jan. 9, 19117 sneek May 16, 1939 smithy Jan. 1s, 1955 

